Bay FC arranged a special match at Oracle Park in San Francisco by securing waivers and coordination despite an NWSL rule barring matches in non-soccer venues. The franchise sold more than 35,000 tickets, surpassing the previous NWSL attendance record and leaving limited seats available in the 40,000-capacity ballpark. Bay FC prioritized player and fan experience, working closely with players, the players association, the league, the visiting Washington Spirit and groundskeepers to ensure a world-class surface and facilities instead of typical converted baseball-field shortcomings. The club normally plays at PayPal Park, where it averaged 13,400 fans this season.
But the second-year expansion franchise's big dreams of drawing the largest crowd in the history of the National Women's Soccer League rested its ability to work out a way around a golden rule outlined in the league's collective bargaining agreement: No matches in non-soccer venues. "There was some history back in the early days in the league of some not great experiences on baseball pitches," said team CEO Brady Stewart, who helped pave the way to Saturday's match at Oracle Park against the Washington Spirit. The waterfront home of MLB's San Francisco Giants has hosted a handful of international friendlies over the years, but this will be the first time it welcomes two women's teams. And ticket sales so far leads the franchise to believe it will make even more history.
Contrary to the league's fraught history of playing in converted minor-league baseball stadiums, which often featured artificial turf, dirt infields and subpar training facilities, Stewart ensured the experience at Oracle Park will be "world-class" - for players and fans. "To have the players play a match at a baseball pitch, you have to be incredibly careful," Stewart said. "We had to work with the players association, with our players, with the league and with the Washington Spirit. ... We looked at every element of the player experience."
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